Avie Coryell, a recent graduate of Shortridge High School, is spending her summer engaged in an archaeology internship called Indy-ology. This program allows students to uncover historical stories through hands-on research.
Coryell was selected as one of eight students for the program. “I’ve always loved history and science,” she said. “When I read about the internship, applying was a no-brainer. I felt incredibly lucky to be chosen.”
Her work primarily takes place at Indiana University and the Indianapolis city archives, with significant experiences occurring at the Greenlawn Cemetery excavation site. The Greenlawn Cemetery Project is part of an archaeological effort linked to the Henry Street Bridge construction. It involves uncovering human remains and artifacts from Indianapolis’s first public cemetery.
“We can’t physically dig due to our age and experience,” Coryell stated, “But we help by documenting and researching. The personal items people were buried with really stay with me — they tell a story.”
Indy-ology offers high school students opportunities to explore archaeology and local history through practical research related to Greenlawn Cemetery. Students rotate through labs, engage in archival research, and go on field trips.
By the end of the program, each student completes a final presentation based on their learning in anthropology, archaeology, and history.
Coryell attributes her success in the internship to Shortridge’s International Baccalaureate program. “IB taught me how to think critically and analyze data,” she said.
She also draws inspiration from her mother, Melody Coryell, an educator with Indianapolis Public Schools. “My mom is the smartest person I know,” Avie said.
Melody Coryell expressed pride in her daughter’s achievements: “It’s an honor…to watch her find her way…The Indology internship gives Avie the chance to do all three of these things.”
This fall, Avie will attend Indiana University to study history and science with aspirations in forensic anthropology. “Indy-ology has shown me how those two fields connect,” she said.
